China vs Colombia

China vs Colombia: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 428,000 people in Colombia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.11 million people, or 5.92 times that in Colombia.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Colombia: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 428,000 people in Colombia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.11 million people, or 5.92 times that in Colombia.
ChinaColombiaEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, China ranked 2 and Colombia ranked 17 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaColombiaWorld
20202.54 million428,00027.4 million
20192.54 million481,00027.7 million
20182.7 million481,20027.7 million
20172.7 million481,00027.4 million
20162.7 million481,10027.5 million
20152.84 million481,10027.4 million
20142.99 million455,80027.3 million
20132.99 million455,80027.2 million
20122.99 million440,20028.2 million
20112.95 million440,20028 million
20102.95 million441,80028.1 million
20092.95 million441,80027.9 million
20082.89 million411,00027.5 million
20072.89 million411,00027.3 million
20063.61 million398,00027 million
20053.76 million336,00028.5 million
20043.76 million336,00027.1 million
20033.75 million304,60028.2 million
20023.77 million262,60028.3 million
20013.81 million262,60028.2 million
20003.91 million247,00029.4 million
19993.82 million231,00029.6 million
19983.82 million233,30029.9 million
19973.64 million233,30029.9 million
19964.14 million233,30030.2 million
19954.13 million233,40030.2 million
19942.93 million146,00023.2 million
19933.03 million139,00023.7 million
19923.16 million139,00024.5 million
19913.2 million110,00022.7 million
19903.5 million110,00023.9 million
19893.9 million91,00024.3 million
19853.9 million66,20022.2 million
19844.1 million70,000–
19834.1 million70,000–
19824.35 million70,000–
19814.75 million65,000–
19804.65 million60,000–
19794.6 million60,000–
19784.5 million60,000–
19774.3 million60,000–
19764.3 million60,000–
19754.3 million50,000–
19744.3 million50,000–
19733.25 million50,000–
19723.04 million50,000–
19712.97 million50,000–
19702.85 million45,000–
19692.83 million50,000–
19682.8 million50,000–
19672.71 million50,000–
19662.6 million50,000–
19652.4 million50,000–
19642.75 million55,000–
19632.5 million50,000–
19622.3 million55,000–
19612.2 million55,000–
19603.23 million18,000–
19593.21 million17,000–
19583.18 million19,000–
19573.16 million15,000–
19563.13 million17,000–
19553 million12,000–
19543.08 million19,000–
19533.05 million18,000–
19523.03 million17,000–
19513 million17,000–
19504 million17,000–
19492.57 million17,000–
19483.69 million17,000–
19474.02 million17,000–
19464.16 million17,000–
19454.78 million11,000–
19444.23 million11,000–
19433.68 million11,000–
19423.13 million––
19412.58 million––
19402.04 million––
19391.49 million15,000–
1938900,00018,000–
19372 million15,000–
19361.7 million12,000–
19351.7 million13,000–
19341.7 million13,000–
19331.7 million8,000–
19321.7 million8,000–
19311.7 million8,000–
19301.7 million7,000–
19291.7 million9,000–
19281.7 million9,000–
19271.7 million8,000–
19261.7 million7,000–
19251.7 million6,000–
19241.7 million6,000–
19231.63 million6,000–
19221.57 million6,000–
19211.5 million6,000–
19201.44 million6,000–
19191.38 million6,000–
19181.3 million6,000–
1917900,0006,000–
1916850,0006,000–
1915500,0006,000–
1914460,0006,000–
1913450,0006,000–
1912450,0006,000–
19111 million6,000–
19101 million7,000–
19091 million7,000–
19081 million7,000–
19071 million7,000–
19061 million6,000–
19051 million5,000–
19041 million10,000–
19031 million15,000–
19021 million1,000–
19011 million1,000–
19001 million1,000–
18991 million1,000–
18981 million1,000–
18971 million1,000–
18961 million6,000–
18951 million6,000–
18941 million6,000–
18931 million6,000–
18921 million6,000–
18911 million6,000–
18901 million6,000–
18891 million7,000–
18881 million7,000–
18871 million7,000–
18861 million3,000–
18851 million3,000–
18841 million3,000–
18831 million3,000–
18821 million3,000–
18811 million3,000–
18801 million2,000–
18791 million3,000–
18781 million3,000–
18771 million2,000–
18761 million3,000–
18751 million1,000–
18741 million2,000–
18731 million2,000–
18721 million2,000–
18711 million2,000–
18701 million2,000–
18691 million2,000–
18681 million2,000–
18671 million2,000–
18661 million2,000–
18651 million2,000–
18641 million2,000–
18631 million4,000–
18621 million1,000–
18611 million1,000–
18601 million1,000–
1859–1,000–
1858–1,000–
1857–1,000–
1856–2,000–
1855–2,000–
1854–2,000–
1853–2,000–
1852–2,000–
1851–4,000–
1850–4,000–
1849–4,000–
1848–4,000–
1847–4,000–
1846–4,000–
1845–4,000–
1844–4,000–
1843–5,000–
1842–6,000–
1841–25,000–
1840–20,000–
1839–6,000–
1838–3,000–
1837–3,000–
1836–3,000–
1835–3,000–
1834–3,000–
1833–3,000–
1832–3,000–
1831–3,000–
  • 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
  • Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
  • Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
  • Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

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